


Other Things To Think About

by Higuchimon



Category: Yu-Gi-Oh! Zexal
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Diversity Writing Challenge, Soulmate-Identifying Timers, Zexal Flash Bingo
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-22
Updated: 2016-01-22
Packaged: 2018-05-15 08:24:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 646
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5778415
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Higuchimon/pseuds/Higuchimon
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Their counters have stopped.  They have met one another.  But far too much lies between them to do anything else.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Other Things To Think About

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing involved in this story unless I invented it myself. This is written for fun, not for profit. All forms of feedback eagerly accepted. Concrit is loved the most, but everything is welcome.  
**Fandom:** Yu-Gi-Oh Zexal  
**Title:** Other Things To Think About  
**Romance:** III/Michael x Yuuma/Yuuma x Michael (with a third indicated)  
**Word Count:** 500|| **Status:** One-shot  
**Genre:** Romance|| **Rated:** G  
**Challenge:** Written for the Diversity Writing Challenge, section A83, write about finding something; Written for the Zexal Flash Bingo, prompt #047, Aztecshipping  
**Notes:** This is the soulmate marker universe as shown in **Countdown**.  
**Summary:** Their counters have stopped. They have met one another. But far too much lies between them to do anything else.

* * *

Yuuma looked from his arm to the stranger. He wanted to say something. He wanted to ask who they were and what was going on, but there was too much else going on. 

He did learn some things: the stranger was known as III and was a fantastic duelist. 

But he didn't get a chance to _talk_ to III until later: when III showed up in his bedroom, all but squealing over the treasures there. 

In that moment, Yuuma understood why the countdown on his arm had stopped when their paths crossed. 

III looked down at his own arm, then to Yuuma. “It's you, too, isn't it?” 

“Yeah.” Yuuma nodded, tugging his sleeve back to show the glimmering green line of zeros on his arm. He rubbed the back of his head. “You know, I never really thought about this a lot.” It had always been dueling with him. It still was. But to know there really was someone there, and he knew who this someone was, and they knew him… 

Well, it gave him a little something else to think about. 

III nodded, hand pressed over his own arm. “I know. I've had a lot of other things to think about myself.” He bit his lip and looked away. “I still do. And I will, until … until it's all taken care of.” 

Yuuma could see Astral floating not that far away, curiosity written all over his features. He'd tried to explain how the counters worked, but he still wasn't sure if Astral understood. For what it was worth, he didn't know if _he_ knew how they worked. 

He rubbed his other arm. “Well, also, I guess you should know… this.” And now he pulled up his other sleeve, showing the second countdown. Bonds of three were rare, but had been known to happen. Yuuma wasn't sure if he understood this any more than he did the first, but it was there whether he did or not. 

III tilted his head at that, then mimicked Yuuma's motion, pulling his opposite sleeve up. Yuuma blinked, then looked up at him. 

“You think… it's the same person for both of us?” Their second counters didn't match, but Akari and Grandma had otld him multiple times that if they didn't, then it probably just meant that they'd meet at different times. 

“I don't know.” III closed his eyes and offered up the tiniest of smiles, one that thrilled Yuuma to see. “Maybe we'll find out one day.” 

“Of course we will!” Yuuma couldn't even comprehend not doing so. Then his grandmother called them to dinner, and Yuuma started to reach for III's hand. 

III pulled away, not letting them touch. “I can't, Yuuma,” he said, his voice tighter. “Not … not until I can do something.” 

Yuuma looked back at him. He didn't know what III meant but he knew what 'no' meant. “All right! But when you're ready, I will be!” 

III smiled, even tighter than his voice. “I believe you.” 

**The End**

**Note:** Thank you for reading and I hope that you enjoyed the story. Please let me know what you thought of it if at all possible.


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